Darkened Sequence: The Dragon's Bane
The Confrontation , . 7:00 PM The air was crisp and biting as it always was. The sands of this dessert seemed as though they would go on forever. The roars of the mad titans known as could be heard from all sides, to an unexpected visitor, they would be terrifying. To Kurama, they were a sign that he was finally home. After chasing what he now knew to be a dud of a lead to one of the Jūsanseizas, he was glad to finally get some R&R. Gentai Nagare kept pace with his Commander, only falling short of a few feet. "Geez, sorry about the lead. You don't have to give me the silent treatment y'know?" He pouted as he struggled to lift his feet from the engulfing sands beneath him. He was sure that his advisor had been spot-on with his discovery. Odds where, the one they were hunting had probably made his escape well before they arrived in the area. Who's giving you the silent treatment? I'm just trying to figure out..." Kurama trailed off as he saw what became of when he had left temporarily. Some coward must have attacked their base when he vacated. Or...something far worse occurred and Gekkō broke free from his restraints. Shinseina's Chaos must have forced his Seraph bloodline to awaken. But all of these theories could be summed up in one phrase... "WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED HERE!?!?!?" Kurama bellowed as he slumped towards the ground in an almost comedic fashion. All of that hard work renovating the place blown to smithereens. Literally. Gentai was a bit more composed than his Commander. While he was equally shocked, he didn't express it through swearing or overreacting. Instead, he ran with all of his might towards the entrance, where most of the damage had seemingly been done. One of the working on the building greeted him nervously." "Oh! H-Hello, Mr. Nagare. What brings you here?" Gentai could see the fear on the Arrancar's face; his reputation for being less than cordial when it came to Hollows and the life must have been well known. But, luckily for him, this didn't seem to be his fault. "Who did this, Saban?" He asked, not even responding towards the Arrancar's fear. "We were attacked from all sides. The two captives escaped during a battle which engulfed Shiratori and Gabriel, and took the lives of at least a dozen foot soldiers." Saban hastily explained. Gentai cursed inwardly. "Kurama's not going to like this." He turned back to see...nothing. Kurama was gone! Where could he have went...of course! "You can get back to work now. If you miss a spot, I'll kill you." Gentai spoke as he accelerated towrds the primary care doctors. "Yes sir!!...Asshole..." Saban spoke quietly towards himself. Hueco Mundo, Negal Ruins. 7:25 PM. Placing his foot upon the ground, causing the sand to part beneath his sneakers, Kōsa towered over Las Noches in the distance. Narrowing his eyes, taking in the scenery before him, the Sōzōshin growled. In attending this investigation, he was fully aware of the fact the destruction of this base would be pinned on him. However, with Daichi as a teammate, there was an easy means of repaying Kurama. Daichi, for some reason or another, decided to cut off Kōsa's allowance. Now, in hearing about this, Kōsa went into a fit of rage — one of which that resulted in Daichi and Kōsa fighting. "You've got to be kidding me!" Kōsa called out, his hands stashed away in his pockets. "I'll get you for this, Daichi! I'll smack the shit out of you for sure!" Lunging off the base of the sand mound, the adolescent tiger slid down into the depths of the outpost. As he landed, ducking behind a piece of machinery, he picked up a pair of binoculars. Placing the day-vision goggles to his face, he calmly observed Las Noches from a distance. In destroying this place, and concurring the wrath of Kurama, Kōsa was tasked with infiltration — if he let Kurama know he was there, he'd probably end up tearing down the rest of the renovated base. Reaching into his pocket, taking out his Denreishinki, he proceeded to call Daichi. "Okay, shit-face, I'm here. What do I do now?" Kōsa chimed, still irritated. "It's simple, flame brain. All I need you to do is look for these two people — I'll send you the pictures." Hanging up, after he finished speaking, Daichi left Kōsa sitting in silence. However, following the short instance of peace, a series of beeps filled the air. Kōsa's Denreishinki, now in projection mode, showed an image of Kurama and Gentai. "So...I just have to watch out for these two people? That's easy! Can I just run in and blow them up?" Clutching his phone tight within the palm of his hand, Kōsa ignited his forearm — his very flesh turning into fire. "I've been waiting to cut loose!" Directing all of his attention to his arm, as he spoke, Kōsa engendered the blaze his being composed. Though, following another series of beeps, Daichi sprang to life in front of Kōsa as a holographic projection. "No! You stupid bastard! Don't go blowing shit up! You're in the presence of a Captain. Do you not know what that means?" Hueco Mundo, Las Noches. 7:30 PM. Kurama remained in the infirmary for quite some time. Checking up on casualties of the attacks. He looked over and saw Shiratori and Gabriel, both exhausted from battle and looking defeated. Their enemies got away. He would try to cheer them up, but right now he had other things to attend to. The best thing he could do was not patronize them. They would come out of this like they always did. Gekkō's Chaos must have run rampant in a pathetic last-attempt effort to convert him into a Mazoku. However, his initial thoughts were banished once he saw the footage of the strikes against Las Noches; A silver-haired Raijū and purple haired teenager fought against Gabriel and Shiratori. Whilst Gekkō himself was involved with the Soul Society's Spirit Detective. At least they had the common decency to move away from the palace. His eyes narrowed. Something was wrong with Gekkō, he should have put up a better fight if not completely dominated that runt. After his foolhardy battle with the Shiroyasha, Shinseina imbued Gekkō with his own Chaos and trained him for the past three years in order to regulate and control it. During that same time, his Seraph blood awoke and allowed him to seal that portion of darkness into a separate Zanpakutō. Yet, ever since then he had been fighting as though he had been weakened. He had but one theory, the conflict between light and darkness inside of him had taken a toll on his mind and body which dramatically deflated his combat prowess. That's the only possible way he could have fought so sloppily. Gentai walked in and motioned Kurama to follow him with a nod of his head. "What is it?" Kurama asked. Gentai kept walking, quikening his pace with each step. "We need to get someplace secure." He remarked. They walked until they reached to lowest corridor of their headquarters where no one would follow them or even dar enter without explicit permission. "As I'm sure you know, we where attacked by multiple intruders. However, one of them is a person by the name of Bermuda Kurosawa. I'm going to cut to the chase, his mere presence here signifies another superpower other than ourselves and the is beginning to make it's move. This power is supposedly led by none other than Shinseina Yami himself." Kurama was surprised at the knowledge just dropped on him so quickly, Shinseina had his own army? "How is that possible? Surely we would have known of someone as powerful as him building some sort of organization." Gentai crossed his arms over his chest. "The Mazoku's a crafty son of a bitch. He moves so subtly that he is almost unnoticeable." Gentai would have continued had his alarm not went off. He placed it towards his face as his eyes bulged with surprise. "The nerve of those bastards! They're back?!" Gentai raised his eyes up to see Kurama gone. He hung up the device in frustration. "Damn it! Not again!" Hueco Mundo, Las Noches - Tres Cifras, Entrance Approaching Las Noches at a high velocity, running something similar to a B-Line, Kōsa zoomed his way to Kurama's location. However, upon speaking to Daichi a little more, the Sōzōshin was advised to stay away from the Captain — encountering him would mean the end of Draco's short lived life. Though, bent on proving his worth, Kōsa made a direct charge for Kurama's base of operations. In closing in on the base, the Sōzōshin heard something akin to an alarm. Did they already know he was here? Skeptical of such, the Sōzōshin turned on his heels and bolted to the left. Circling around the ruined base, he approached from what he assumed was the rear entrance. His spiritual pressure, shifting from a physical downpour to a radiant emanation, went into stealth mode. "I'm approaching the base, Daichi. Though, it seems like they've already anticipated my arrival? Look into it!" Swiping his hand to the side, erecting a holographic screen in the corner of his line of sight, Kōsa made a direct call to Daichi. "Just stay out of trouble, Draco." Mukei chimed in, pushing Daichi to the side. "I'm staying incognito, Gōkana." Chiming back, in almost a belittling tone, Kōsa addressed the concerns of his subordinates. However, as gradually trailed off, Kōsa picked up something on the corner of his holographic screen — a radar Daichi had installed for him. The radar seemed to be a layout of Las Noches. "Thanks, partner. I'll forgive you for chipping me out of my allowance." Dissipating the holographic screen, as he praised Daichi, Kōsa returned to his feverish sprinting. In the blink of an eye, as he turned the corner of one of the buildings, the Sōzōshin noticed a slowly closing door. Lunging forward, projecting himself within a straight line via his reiatsu, Kōsa shot through the door. Using his foot as a kick stand, he slowly skidded to a partial stop — only to use his reiatsu as a means to boost himself around a corner. "I don't think I'll run into them if I take this path. Let's go~" "You know, you're terrible at stealth." A smooth, yet regal voice boomed behind Kōsa. Behind him was Kurama. And he was not happy with the intruder. The moment he left Gentai, he sped past the sensors, computers and security cameras to see the Spirit Detective invading their palace. He made it to this exact location before the runt even knew where entrance was. "Next time you want to infiltrate the headquarters of a massive organization. Make sure, you dodge all of the cameras, would you?" Stopping dead in his tracks, refusing to turn around, Kōsa balled his fists. So, he caught up to me, huh? Should I fight him...? Lolling his head back, looking at Kurama with a twisted gaze, the Sōzōshin dipped into his inner darkness. I can buy Daichi and Gōkana three minutes... Tightening his fist, as he stood there motionless, the adolescent caused a black radiation to seep off his person. If he engaged Kurama, he could only survive long enough to create a distraction for Daichi and Mukei. Though, what would he do after those three minutes were up? Would he be dead? Would he be able to escape? Pondering on the thought of attacking, Kōsa was faced with these questions — all of which he did not know the answer to. He'd fight if he had to, though; there was no doubt about that. "Oh? You caught me? To be honest, I assumed you guys were too stupid to use cameras. I mean, you didn't use them the first time I was here." Kōsa spoke out, his gaze shifting back to the corridor in front of him. If he made a break for it, he'd get probably have enough momentum to bust through the wall at the other end of the hall. Though, having been caught in a congested portion of the entrance, the Sōzōshin wasn't left with many options — left and right were locked by doors, the rear was guarded by Kurama, and the path before him was a dead end. "I have a question for you, Captain. Do you, perhaps, know fear?" Smashing his foot into the ground, spinning around to stare Kurama down, Kōsa extended his martial spirit. Bearing down on Kurama with it, focusing all of his killing intent unto him, the teen attempted to create a moment of hesitation in the Captain. Kōsa wasn't looking for much, seeing as the man before him was of high class, but he had hoped that even an instinctive blink was produced in lieu of his Conquering Will. "Daichi! You have three minutes! Go, you stupid fool! Go!!" Kōsa called out, turning on his heels, as soon as his killer intent was erected in the form of a projective downpour. Bolting for the wall in front of him, his body encased in blackness and redness, he attempted to blow his way through the wall before him — his speed keeping him a blur of the two colliding colors. Just because the runt did not see the cameras, doesn't mean that they where not present. "You must not have looked hard enough, how else would I have known who you were? Kōsa." Kurama spoke lowly, with just a hint of killing intent in his voice. He would not destroy him outright, he would wait and see. Study this...Mazoku, and see what he could learn about their nature. See how he could save his Brother. He saw the boy's eyes glancing at every possible exit and way of escape. There was none, unless he was hard headed enough to actually leap through the wall. Kōsa's reiatsu infused with killing intent crashed down on Kurama like a town of bricks. Causing the Captain to actually arch a brow. "Wow. This much intent coming from one person? I haven't felt this much power since I ate the strawberry off of Gekkō's birthday cake. Or when he temporarily transformed into you abominations, whichever one I feel should come first." However, despite the impressive wave of energy crashing over him, he had to wonder. Did this poor demon forget that Kurama resided in Hueco Mundo? This place was flooded with destructive beast who where practically made of killing intent. To him, this boy's showmanship was nothing noteworthy in the least. He crossed his arms over his chest and allowed his reiatsu the freedom to free flow from his being. Emanating outwards in several waves as they pushed back Kōsa's initial strike until the point where the boy's martial will would attain damage. Until it would get hurt or even crushed by the monstrous spiritual energy Kurama gave off. "Three minutes, eh? I guess I could spare your life for that long." Kurama spoke lowly, as Kōsa did the unexpected and burst through the wall. "Wow, I cannot believe he actually did that. Asshole...does he know how much it's going to cost to get that fixed?" Kurama cursed as he stood there, waiting on the ninety seconds to pass by until he made his move. Extending out his leg, thrusting it deep into the sand, Kōsa brought himself to a stop. Why was he running? He had wanted to fight Kurama, and he now had his chance. So why was he scared? Curling his fingers deeper into his palm, tightening the ball his fists formed, the Sōzōshin huffed — it was do or die. "Alright, Kirameki. I've kicked your brother's ass. So, why don't we see if I can kick yours?" Swiping his hand to the side, as he spoke, Kōsa erected a holographic screen. Daichi, who panted vigorously, occupied the screen. "Draco! What in the hell are you doing? Are you already in cover! Get the hell out of there, we're on our way." He barked, completely out of breath. "Hey, don't tell me what to do, Daichi. I got this, alright? Kuniharu-Dono taught me well — I will not lose without shortening this bastard's life." Kōsa chimed, rotating the screen with his left hand. "You see this face, Kurama? He'll be the last person to have looked at your ugly mug!" Pushing off the ground, springing high into the air, Kōsa gouged his fist into the wall. Igniting the entirety of his arm ablaze, the eccentric tiger began to scale the wall at what he assumed was blinding speed. Daichi, who remained erected in front of him, kept a close eye on Kōsa's back as he made his way to the Sōzōshin. "You've put ten meters between you and him. If you keep traversing at that speed, you'll reach the top of Las Noches. Are you okay with that? Falling from that height would kill a normal soul." Daichi coughed, his voice becoming ghastly in relation to the intensity of his sprinting. "Just cover my back, Daichi! I'm not going to die here. We're about to go crazy, partner!" Springing off the wall, his back parallel to the ground, Kōsa began to rotate. "Are you ready, Kirameki?! You have to rebuild this place anyway. So, why not tear it to the ground." In completing his rotation, Kōsa threw his fist toward the ground. Producing a shock wave, which cared with it a burst of heat, the punch smashed into the ground with unimaginable force. However, in comparison to what a ranked member of Soul Society's military could produce, the concussive wave was nothing impressive — Kōsa was aware of that, however. Though, the true intent of the punch was to generate a massive smokescreen. Kōsa, who had erected such a smokescreen, subsisted on it in order to survive his following assault. Diving toward the ground, cutting through the cloud of sand, the Sōzōshin ran a B-Line directly toward Kurama. Cocking his fists back in the process, he directed all of his reiatsu to them. Throwing his arms downward, in a flurry of swift strikes, Kōsa rained down upon Kurama with reinforced fists. Though, as Kōsa's feverish punches continued to fly, a spiritual pressure began to build up within the center of his palm. Within a matter of seconds, as the flurry of strikes began to cease, Kōsa projected out a massive wave of blue light from his hands. Screaming at the top of his lungs, the Sōzōshin cried out Reihikari as he thrust himself into the air, riding the massive burst of energy. "You think it's over? Ha! Take this!" Rotating in the air, as the beam reached its complete length, Kōsa began to build up flames within his mouth. Cultivating the flames with his reiatsu, pushing his spiritual energy to ignite within his person, Kōsa created a deadly mass of reinforced flames. "Eat this! Hōkō (咆哮, "Roar")" Projecting the flames from his mouth, doubling the girth of his Reihikari, the Sōzōshin rained down upon Kurama with a final projectile. "Do you actually think that slowed him down, Draco!?" Kurama's eyes carefully watched as Kōsa came to a screeching halt. Grew a pair and decided to face him, did he? Admirable. Foolish. Yet admirable. Kurama smirked slyly at the young Soul....that was, until the mention of Gekkō escaped his lips. He should have lost that fight. Why he didn't was beyond Kurama. Yet one thing was for certain, he would lose this bout. Instead of shouting or wasting his energy talking to his opponent, Kurama charged in a speeds that rivaled lightning. Yet, even this was nought but a pale comparison to his . He could then sense Kōsa running a breakneck speeds upwards towards the ceiling of Las Noches. What was he planning? He got his answer when the boy, with his arm ablaze, smashed a wave of concussive force into the ground. He shielded his eyes and relied solely on his Reikaku to lead him threw the shockwave the runt threw up in a vain attempt to blind him. Albeit the ripples from the shockwave tore into his clothing. "You should listen to your friend, you have no chance against me. You got lucky with Gekkō. Don't expect the same from me." Kurama spoke, finally giving his opponent the honor of speaking towards them in the midst of battle. As Kurama beheld the swift, thunderous strikes raining down upon him, he could not help but think towards one of his . "Really? We're really doing this, now?" He spoke to himself as he, in what could best be described as a blur, swiftly evaded his strikes by allowing his body to slightly reposition itself out of the line of fire. While he was holding back, he couldn't help but praise the runt for his speed inwardly. As the Soul retracted his arms in order to allow his reiatsu to pour down among Kurama in the form of a special attack. Kurama retaliated by allowing his own spiritual pressure to shoot upwards towards his, causing the two to clash in a classic struggle of wills. Finally, when Kōsa allowed the flames to conjure from his mouth, Kurama grasped the hilt of his Zanpakutō and slashed horizontally, severing Kōsa's arm in the process of a . Before the soul would even realize what was going on, Kurama slashed a second time. However, this was no ordinary sword swing. His Reikaku still active, Kurama pinpointed the exact location of which the fireblast was at it's weakest concentration of spiritual energy. Exploiting this through the slash, Kurama was able to disrupt the entirety of the energy flow through that singular point. Destroying it completely. By the time his movements were complete, all in a manner of seconds, he stood back-to-back with Kōsa. "Now do you realize the true power of the Kirameki?" He taunted. Woosh! In the blink of an eye, as Kurama began to taunt and heckle Kōsa, the Sōzōshin's arm was sent spiraling to new heights. Kōsa, heavily influenced by the a sudden rush of adrenaline, shrugged off the pain casually. However, as time began to gradually pass, he soon felt the after effects of having his arm stripped from his body. In fact, as the wind from the initial strike carried him into the air, the adolescent began to wince in pain — droplets of sweat trailing down the side of his face. There is no way I can beat this man; Daichi was right! Kōsa thought, his body trailing into the sky after his arm. I should have listened to him. Why do I always just run in blindly? Gritting his teeth, shuttering at the warm blood trailing down his side, Kōsa made his gradual descent into depression. However, as he began to ponder on his failure, he soon realized something someone had once told him. Now, thinking about this someone made him angry. Though, considering the situation he was in, there wasn't much he could do in terms of complaining. At the time, this person had said,"You have passion, but no form... A flame with no control. Strong and resolute, but one that will burn out far too quickly..." To Kōsa, who was all about energy and passion, this was a devastating blow to the ego. In meeting Kuniharu, though, he slowly got over it. Now, as he thought about the consequences of charging in blindly, he recalled those very same words. A flame with no control...What if I control it then? Narrow it into a cone...a funnel...like a blowtorch! Extending out his right arm, seeing as it was the only one attached to his person, Kōsa pointed his fingers within Kurama's direction. Taking a deep breath, using it as a means to calm himself, the Sōzōshin focused on tranquility. As he focused, however, he began to accept the inevitable — he'd die if he couldn't pull a miracle out of his ass. I can't do this alone. Actually, I've never done anything alone. I've always had Draco...I've always had Fire. I've always had Power. How is this any different? I just need help — it doesn't matter who it's from! Curling his middle finger into the palm of his hand, holding it in place with his thumb, Kōsa aimed the cocked digit at Kirameki. His excited reiryoku, in that instant, began to stretch out. Encompassing the reishi around his person, the two energies gradually began to intertwine. Kōsa, acting as the medium for those to energies, directed them to the tip of his cocked finger. "You're right, Kurama — I was naive. However, you shouldn't underestimate me. I may have gotten lucky against Gekkō, but my skills aren't a joke." Throwing his head back, as he spoke, Kōsa grunted and howled. Removing his thumb from atop of his middle finger, he released the pressure building up within his finger. Resulting in a massive Boom!, the concussive finger flick rained down upon Kurama with a narrowed wave of pressure. The effect, likened to that of a hammer repeatedly striking a nail, is a serious of delayed shock wave. Each shock wave, after certain period of time, would elongate and encompass a larger area of effect. An object in motion stays in motion until acted upon by an unbalanced force. The force of the initial release — of the finger — also resulted in the destruction of Kōsa's digit (the bones in his finger broke). Crying out in pain, similar to how he did with the loss of his arm, the Sōzōshin ascended higher into the air. However, at this point, he was at the same atmospheric level as his arm. Secreting a black substance, which many took to calling Yōryoku, Kōsa ensnared the severed limb. Pulling it back to his body, forcefully reattaching it, the Sōzōshin returned his body to its initial appearance. Though, of course, the damage from having his arm severed still existed — he simply reattached it. His eyes, for a brief moment, become purple with a continuous ripple pattern. "Dammit, Draco! Are you a fucking idiot!" In the blink of an eye, as Kōsa's arm reattached itself to his body, lightning flashed in the sky. Daichi, cloaked in electricity, began to descend from a blackened cloud. Scooping Kōsa up, clutching his flaming figure within his arms, the adolescent bolted into the sky. Kurama was fast, and probably quick enough to catch Daichi, but the two individuals were suddenly encased in an orange cube and transported away in a flash of green light. Their reiatsu, however, could still be felt far off. Kurama's eyes picked up on the spiritual energy shifting within Kōsa's general vicinity. The energy signals locked upon the tip of his finger, before the exploded concussive blast flew towards him. It began to expand more and more, gathering the ambient energy particles around it as it blew through the air spaces between the two combatants. It appeared as though Kōsa was one of the smarter spiritual beings, utilizing basic physics in order to amplify his attack instead of relying solely on the spiritual aspects of this world. Extending his index finger outwards, condensed upon Kurama's own finger. However, instead of just simply being a ball of air, the spell comprised of four connected walls of spiritual air,w hilst their existing nothing but a void within its center. Filling that void was simple, as Kurama allowed to engulf the inside of the wind "barrier". Yet, how could flames exist with not oxygen to feed from? Simple, it fed from the walls that surrounded it continuously until it could sustain itself. The spell shot forth at incredible speeds, mimicking the opponent's spell as it too ate from the energy surrounding it. They met dead on, causing another shock wave to engulf them both. Kurama himself was taken aback by the blast, yet it was nothing he could not handle. As it blew Kōsa back, Kurama couldn't help but see the grandiose entrance of his enimies' partner coming in for the save. He regained his footing upon a platform of his own reiatsu, and hurled himself towards the fleeing duo. As he closed in, within seconds an orange, rectangular barrier erected himself before him, cutting off his path. he narrowed his eyes in disgust, "Retreating? How cowardly. You run from the fight you started, Spirit Detective?!" Kurama shouted, hoping to goad his opponents as he did moments before. He stopped a few paces away from his initial interruption. He could still sense their reiatsu in another location. It was faint but he could still fell something..just barely. He decided to meet them in their new location and end this once and for all. The Battle Hueco Mundo, Negal Ruins. 7:50 PM "You're on the verge of getting yourself killed, Draco." Daichi growled, his electrified body descending from the sky. "I don't know the meaning of impossible, Daichi. Though, the word excessive is something that my dictionary holds." Kōsa barked back, his body tucked underneath Daichi's arm. "Isn't that the same fucking thing?" Extending out his arm, dropping the Sōzōshin into the sand, the Raijū turned his attention toward Las Noches. If his calculations were correct, Kurama would be here in mere seconds. Though, in Daichi's hands, that was valuable time. "Alright, Kōsa, I'm going to need you to fall back. I don't know how this fight will go, but I can buy he far longer than you can. So, stay on standby, alright? Mukei is off in the distance with Kanshume activated, and can spot us — if we need it. So, take advantage of his presence." Rolling his wrists, as he spoke, Daichi began to adjust his gloves. Kōsa, surprised at the urgency in the tone of Daichi's voice, was able to discern the seriousness of the issue. Daichi never called Kōsa by his name. Though, when he did so, it meant that blood was about to be shed. Could Daichi take on Kurama? In relation to Himura, Mukei, and himself, Daichi was indeed the strongest of the group. However, Kōsa had never seen Daichi fight via any means other than firearms. So, as he stood there, he looked unto Daichi with awe as the Raijū adjusted his clothing. Kurama was a Captain, but Daichi was one of the few Quincy with a Vollständig while lacking a schrift. "Do you actually think you can beat him?" Kōsa questioned, taking a seat upon the ground. "If it was a death match, I'd lose. However, he took it upon himself to leave his assistant unattended. Himura, who is approaching Las Noches, should be able to handle them. I, on the other hand, have a style of fighting that is fatal to any and all denizens within the spiritual world. So...I do think I can beat him." Rotating his neck, lolling his head against his shoulders, Daichi yawned. "Did he get kind of arrogant with you? He said some shit like 'Now do you realize the true power of the Kirameki?' didn't he? That's some boisterous crap." "Crap, eh?" Kurama spoke, his presence being felt directly behind Daichi as he closed in on Kōsa. "Your friend is quite the arrogant one. Once I'm finished with you i'll see what this child has to offer." Kurama uttered darkly, his voice carrying with it an inhuman tone as it was projected by his reiatsu. "Báibào" Dragging his hand through the air just as Kurama made his descent behind him, Daichi began to grasp at the reishi present around his person. Bending to his very will, the reishi began to interlock into a single body. This body, solidified by a perpetual ripple, casually interfaced with Daichi's fingers. "Who said you could step into my domain?" Churning the body by rotating his hand, causing it to swirl like a whirlpool, the Raijū forced the Captain's body to lift off the ground. Though, within the same instant that his feet removed themselves from the sand, Kurama would find himself upon his back in front of Daichi. The notion, which the Shinigami may have not seen Daichi utilize, was a simple over head throw. Now, upon colliding with the ground, Kurama's entire person would remain completely unharmed. In fact, as he collided with the sand, he wouldn't even feel it splash against his body — Daichi used it as a means to alter their positioning, rather than an offensive attack. "You can't go straight for the King's head without first taking out his soldiers. Do you know anything about Chess, Kirameki? Now, should we take this fighter farther out? I assure you, if you attack me, I'll tear down the remains of your base." Motioning with his thumb, as he spoke, Daichi directed Kurama to the distant mound of sand behind him. Heading within that very direction, around the same time the Captain would be picking himself up off the ground, the adolescent attempted to change location. However, as soon as he took a step forward, he began to bend and lock his fingers. The reishi around his person, in response to the ripple generated from the cracking of his digits, began to twist to his liking. Encompassing the very hand that directed it, the free form body shaped itself into a series of needles. Daichi, swiping his hand across the air, projected those needles within Kurama's immediate direction. "Oh? Did I say we'd be changing location? I'm sorry...it seems I've told a lie." Rolling his head back, looking at Kurama with dead eyes, the Raijū glared at the Shinigami with a stoic expression. Kurama lolled his head backwards to stare up at the Raijū. "Jeez, dude. Do you all talk this much during fighting? What is this, Dragon Ball Z?" Kuram flipped over, completely unaffected by the martial arts move, he took notice to the boy's control over their environment and slowly applauded him. "You know you can't defeat me on your own so you call to nature for aid. Impressive." The tirade of spiritual projectiles collided Kurama's position, creating explosion upon explosion that began to tear at the trees around them. However, one the smoke cleared, Kurama was no where to be found. Was he obliterated? Annihilated? Did he dodge? No, as Kurama stood high above the ground, with slight bruises to his person. "Wow, I shouldn't have underestimated those attacks. They rival lightning itself." He said quietly to himself. Then, he vanished, only to reappear behind Daichi back to back. "I'm in your domain now. What will you do about it?" "I'll respond accordingly, just like they would in Dragon Ball Z ‒ I'll scream for an episode and a half." Utilizing his left leg as a pivot, rotating within the direction of Kurama, Daichi performed a swift chopping motion. The ambient spiritual energy around him, still existing within the form of a single body, bent to the will of the Raijū as he turned to face his assailant. Within the blink of an eye, like it had done before, the body of reishi sprung into action ‒ its shape altering to benefit Daichi's strike. However, instead of existing within the form of sporadic needles, this body took on the physical characteristic of a flame. "Or...I can skip the bullshit, and finish you off immediately." Drawing his hand back after performing the generic open-handed strike, Daichi called the body of reishi back to him. Though, in the instant that it returned to the space around his immediate person, it began to dissipate within a matter of seconds, turning into a subtle ripple. This ripple, in response to commands issued by Daichi's left hand, formed a wall of blue before the Raijū ‒ something similar to a shield, comprised of Reishi. Kurama narrowed his eyes at the Raijū's movements. "A horizontal knifehand strike? How underwhelming." His years of fighting spiritual wars had honed Kurama's reflexes to the utmost degree, point-blank attacks such as these would prove to be no trouble to the Captain. Extending his own palm outwards in the same direction as Daichi's, Kurama allowed his own to spin within the opposite direction of the Raijū's own spirit hand. The two strikes collided and caused both to be canceled out. Kurama motioned for his Spirit Weapon in an attempt to cut the thunder hound across the abdomen. Yet, the blue aegis that erected itself before him halted his sword abruptly as it also forced his hand to move from Daichi's. "This spiritual manipulation is almost as great as Gekkō's. You are certainly a prodigy." He spoke calmly. "Yet, this is the end." Where the final words to leave his mouth as a vertical line of blue spiritual energy appeared upon the aegis. " ." He spoke quietly, sheathing his blade that was draw so quickly no one was able to notice it leaving it's sheathe. The sand behind Daichi was split in half. Such an attack would not kill him, but instead leave him unable to fight anymore. Fumbling backwards in response, his body tinted red from the splatter of blood, Daichi groaned. In erecting a rampart of Reishi, the Raijū intended to defend himself. However, something as in-cohesive as a prematurely erected barrier couldn't protect him. So, as he smashed into the sand beneath him, he was well aware of the situation he had put himself in. Though, such damage wasn't sustained in lieu of naivety ‒ there was a reason for the Raijū's recklessness. Kurama was adept in perception, and capable of dissecting every notion Daichi imparted in an attempt to assault the Shinigami. Daichi's best bet, when it came to surprising the Captain, was to direct his attention away from the elephant in the room ‒ which, in this case, was Kōsa Hoshikuzu. The Sōzōshin, in the midst of Kurama's overhead strike, had taken it upon himself to traverse the sands of Hueco Mundo. However, he wasn't running away from the Captain. Instead, with his feet encompassed in flame, the adolescent flickered across the battlefield. Now, in relation to generic Hohō, this was nothing special. In fact, it was oddly similar to the Shunpō utilized by most Shinigami. The only difference, of course, was the effect present in most Jet engines. The reheat, also known as an afterburner, is an initial thrust that affects takeoff. So, each time Kōsa released flames from his feet, the Sōzōshin increased his speed with each combustion. Daichi, in the span of such an execution, was sent spiraling into the ground by Kurama's strike. However, this didn't mean he was completely out for the count. In fact, through the use of Ransōtengai, he could still fight. Drawing in the reishi around his person, turning them into strands of ribbon that laced his very being, the Raijū turned himself into a marionette. Raising off the ground, almost immediately after having connected with it, Daichi performed another open-handed strike. However, unlike before, this strike was a generic palm thrust ‒ an outward extension of the open hand. In response to the basic thrust, the reishi around him began to ripple in an attempt to strike Kurama with a delayed shock wave. In producing the shock wave, however, the reishi around Daichi's body would dissipate ‒ rendering him motionless after the strike. Kōsa, who had begun to approach the outside of the ripples range, sprung into the air almost immediately. However, in lifting off the ground, the Sōzōshin didn't take flight. Instead, only raising off the ground a mere five inches, he glided across the sand. Extending out his leg, whilst performing a sideways shear, he attempted to gouge his leg into Kurama's rib cage. Producing a relatively large burst of flames, the kick resonated with a resounding Wham! "Adamantine Kick!" As Kurama begeld the boy being weakened by the slash. "you should just stay down. If I wanted it, you'd be dead already. Now tell me --" Kurama's words would soon be interrupted when Daichi's shockwave neared him. Yet, it wasn't the simple attack that caught his attent. But what occurred after the fact. His body...vanished. Kurama's eyes widened. He never saw such a technique before. Why would his body disappear? He didn't become invisible, as Kurama couldn't sense his spiritual pressure. The shockwave knocked him back as the electricity that was intertwined with it danced along his limbs. "You're just full of tricks aren't you?" Kurama laughed to himself as he began to stand. Little did he know he made a mistake. "The Sōzōshin!" He gasped as he turned to see Kōsa propelling his flame-laced leg towards his ribcage. Kurama, with nothing but a split second to react, hardened the reiatsu around his person to absorb to brunt of the attack. He was knocked sideways several feet. "Not bad. Not bad! I completely forgot about you. Funny, huh?" He spoke lightly as he once again reached for the hilt of his Spirit Weapon. His movements were subtle and swift, moving at such speeds that he was able to escape the pressures of the air that would normally prevent any locomotion from it's full capacity. He performed a swift movement, drawing his sword in a horizontal strike, his goal was to sever the tendons in Kōsa's leg so that he would be left nigh defenseless. In the blink of an eye, as Kurama's sword neared Kōsa's outstretched leg, a burst of electricity fell upon the blade. Materializing into a humanoid shape, completely engulfed in electricity, Daichi stood upon the erected weapon. In being of Raijū descent, the Quincy retained the ability to convert his body into electricity. However, in only possessing a portion of a Raijū's true power, Daichi could only maintain an intangible state for a few seconds. Utilizing Kurama's confusion as a mental smokescreen, he took it upon himself to surprise the Shinigami once more. "Full of tricks? You're right..." Sweeping his leg from side to side, dragging it into the air via a diagonal path, the Raijū knocked Kurama's sword off course. Kōsa, taking the opportunity to retain his leg to it's original grounded position, began to gather flames at the bottom of his feet. His ability to utilize reheat as a means of increasing his speed was phenomenal, and a feat he was sure many fire users find gracing their repertoire. However, it was a given that he'd pursue the utmost mastery in the element ‒ seeking practicality as a form of accolade. So, capitalizing on his previous assault, the Sōzōshin projected himself forward with a powerful thrust. Performing another shearing motion, he adjusted his person so as to approach Kurama feet first. Turning his feet black, pressurizing the reiatsu around them to unimaginable levels, he attempted to gouge both of them into the Seraph's chest. "Get Flown!" Daichi, who would be descending from Kurama's outstretched blade, again took up his status as a marionette. In that very same instant, he began to gather a large quantity of reishi within his palm. Normally he'd utilize his area of effect as a means to reinforce Kōsa's attack. Though, in this very instant, Kōsa's reinforcement was highly pressurized. Kurama took the full brunt of Kōsa's kick head-on, his facial contortions were hidden beneath his bangs. He was getting...excited. These two beings were giving him a fight even if they knew they had no chance of winning. He smirked wildly, "This has gotten a little fun!" Grasping his leg in an iron-clad grip. Kurama sent up the the Shinigami's legs, causing his blood to boil, his veins to explode and his bones to become burned to a crisp. "But this is where it ends!" .....Elsewhere..... As Daichi began to summon forth the ambient energies with his palm. He would said appendage being engulfed within shadows that beared significant weight. "Geez, Kurama really needs to learn when to just end things. This is getting repetitive. He does something, you guys do something. he throws and unblockable attack and you all just dodge it. Unlike our friends, you guys are actually smart." An unfamiliar voice rang through the air, as a black haired young man crept from the shadows beneath. The End is Where We Begin The Messenger Angel against the Roaring Flame Jerking his leg back, with the sole intention of preserving his being, Kōsa put a considerable gap between himself and Kurama. Now, in lieu of having been ignited via the use of Kidō, the Sōzōshin was sluggish and discursive — his body readily worked on expelling the damage wrought upon himself as if it were Chaos. In a matter of seconds, no longer than half a minute, Kōsa found his leg clad in smoke. The concentration of reiatsu around his limb suppressed any and all fatal damage, and the ordering of his own reiryoku entitled him to accelerated healing. Things such as veins and bones remained unaffected, and his leg sustained only enough damage to slow him down — a feat he could only achieve by offsetting the purple flames in relation to expelling their harmful essence. Though, regardless of such standards, the Sōzōshin pursued the battle heartily. "The gap between us is obvious, Captain Kurama — I have no chance of beating you. Though, my goal is not to best you. You recall me saying your files are under siege by one of my friends, right? I just need to stall you. So, I’ll fight and monologue as hard as I can. You could kill me, and shut me up, but you’d have to get serious — becoming the laughing stock of Soul Society by going all out against a brat." Gouging his hand into the earth, bringing himself to a sliding halt, Kōsa spoke as if he had not a single care in the world. Gōkana had warned him that Kurama reached the precipice in terms of speed, but Kōsa had yet to see if — the Captain’s ego was far too large. If the Sōzōshin could keep him at bay, baiting him with stoic remarks, he may just play on the King’s court like a Jester — surviving on his wits alone. "You called this Dragon Ball Z, right? Don't you know that the underdog always gets a major power up when he starts losing? I’ll show you mine. All of my moves are about to go up a notch…" Playing on Kurama’s literary chagrin, Kōsa took a crouched stance. Pressing his knuckles into the sand, submerging than deeper than before, the Sōzōshin began to call forth a power swelling up inside of him. Expelling it outward, in the form of a sporadic burst of flames, he began to steam and radiate with life. This, clearly being a reference to a certain Pirate Protagonist, was but a means to mock and poke at Kurama. "I’m glad I met you guys, so that I could get stronger — protecting the comrades weaker than me." Rushing forward, placing stress on his wounded leg, Kōsa closed the gap between himself and Kurama. Utilizing his reheat ability, he kicked off with a secondary thrust, one in which only benefited his initial one. Infringing on the Captain’s personal space, cocking his fist back in the process, the Sōzōshin attempted to gouge his fist into Kurama’s face — a humorous imparting of Ikkotsu in a manner similar to the famous protagonists signature skill, Jet Pistol. Though, in reality, Kōsa excited his latent reiryoku and charged the Captain. Throwing a straight job as soon as he came out of his reheat, he attempted to induce combustion on a level similar to the exothermic reaction of a frag grenade — he created an explosion from striking the air. The fire in which ensnared him was but a mere defense mechanism, and the reiatsu built up around his body acted as armor. Though, in relation to his fancy accelerated healing, the constitution of his spiritual defenses played off his vigor — resulting in the layer of pressure around him to be a direct product of exhilarated reiryoku. "Jetto Pisutoru!!" Chiming out with a stoic expression, gritting his teeth in an aggressive snare, Kōsa let fly his Ikkotsu. However, unlike the mere punch of a brawler or generic Shinigami, the Sōzōshin’s jab shook the air around his immediate person. Staying realistic, of course, the air only vibrated to the point of producing a decent burst of wind. Playing off that sudden burst, exploding forward with enough momentum to shatter rock, the force of Kōsa’s punch trailed outward — burying down on Kurama with enough power to erode the surrounding area. Though, such a feat was merely a sneeze in relation to a true Martial Artist, who could carry the momentum of the strike throughout their body, performing several consecutive punches in an instant. To make up for his immediate gap in skill, to that of a true Hakuda specialist, Kōsa exercised his ability to reheat. Shearing with his legs, performing an infringing sweep, he released a burst of heat that propelled his leg forward — resulting in another gouging kick aimed for Kurama’s chest. "Jetto Wippu!" "Do you really think that putting distance between us will mean anything? Lucky for you, I've decided to tone down the lethality." Kurama's movements where the exact opposite of Kōsa's as he indulged the youngling by translocating himself several meters from the young boy. He gazed upon the boy's leg which was exuding smoke in a fashion that had to be steeped in spiritual magics. "Your understanding of spiritual energy workings is such that you negated my attack? Kufufufu, I'm impressed. Your fighting spirit actually forces you to think things through, eh?" Kurama smiled as he placed his Spirit Weapon away. "Since you're not using Zanjutsu, neither will I." Kurama's brow then shot north upon hearing what the boy said. He was trying to stall him? Did he not know that Gabriel and Shiratori where still at base? His monologue and fighting combination would do nothing but tire him out both physically and mentally. "Going all out? Do you really think this is my best? Ha! Don't flatter yourself!" He laughed as he watched Kōsa power up. As Kōsa's wild flames began to erupt from his being, he moved. Kurama was well aware of what Protagonist the adolescent was mimicking. "Jet Pistol! C'mon, kid! Get your own moves!" Kurama braved the shearing winds that where produced from his enemies strike through projecting his forward and allowing it to mold into the shape of a spectral entity. "Sorry, Gekkō, I sound like a fucking hypocrite, huh?" The spectre allowed itself to feel the full brunt of Kōsa's Ikkotsu. Several appendages sprawled from it's form and performed several consecutive punches, each erupting with the full force of the aforementioned technique. Over and over they cocked back and shot forward, allowing the grounds all around Kōsa to explode with a ferocity that could only be matched by the executioner's own brother. This would not kill the Spirit Detective, as it was not meant to. Rather, it was merely to incapacitate the young Shinigami so that the fear of immediate death would bring forth the truest powers of the Mazoku. "Come on! Don't tell me the son of Shinseina Yami has so little to offer!" He taunted. Sliding backwards, using the impact of the attacking appendages strategically, Kōsa put distance between himself and Kurama. However, in the amount of time it would take one to traverse such a distance, Kōsa was already beginning his counter attack. Flexing his spiritual energy, letting it radiate from his person as a viscous downpour of vibrations, the Sōzōshin attempted to transcend his fighting abilities. If he were to succeed, despite having already pushed himself into an excited state, a larger reservoir of power would be available to him. Along with this power, of course, was a slight change in appearance; his hair was now spiked upwards. However, that wasn't the end to his sudden jump in power. Paired with his agitation, as well as his determination, the downpour around him began to convert into fire. Wrapping around his person, all the while turning blue in color, the flames added an element of intensity to his person. "Alright...I'm going in." Pushing off the ground, thrusting himself in Kurama's direction, Kōsa prepared for the second exchange. "Clench your teeth, bastard..." Kurama's construct began to reverberate due to Kōsa's violent reiatsu, however, he paid this no mind as he knew that his iron will would keep the behemoth in check. Instead, his eyebrow shot north. "Eh? You're turning Super Saiyan, now?" Kurama spoke as the flames erupting from Kōsa charged forward at him, setting the entire forest that they were on ablaze. Kurama readied himself and steeled his own spiritual pressure all the more before reeling his Aura's fist back and launching it forwards at speeds capable of breaking the sound barrier. The resulting clash gave birth to a humongous explosion that nearly destroyed half the forest instantaneously. Thier fist, shod with both of their energies still pressing towards one another in hopes of conquering their adversary. "Clench my teeth for that?" You must be joking." Kurama mused as the left first that was still left open shot upwards aiming to strike Kōsa in the abdomen and launch him far from his current standing. In accordance to Kurama's counter attack, Kōsa clenched his teeth — suppressing the urge to barf. Though, in the midst of being struck, the Sōzōshin made an effort to strike back. You see, at the moment of impact, Kōsa gouged his fist into the appendage's forearm. This, as the adolescent was sent flying, resulted in an intense reverberation — the shock wave produced shook the entire construct. Though, regardless of such, Kōsa still sustained an large amount of damage. The only thing stopping his abrupt takeoff was a wall, and one that would crack upon his figure coming into immediate contact with it. He....he hits like a damn train! Sliding off of said wall, dropping down onto his knees, Kōsa fought to remain conscious. Though, existing within an excited state, there was no real struggle in relation to willpower. Thus, after regaining his composure, the adolescent raised his fist in rebuttal. "Who'll break first...my body...or that damn apparition!?" The incredible power of the young Soul shook Kurama's Reiki to its very foundation. However, despite his valiant effort, Kurama could see where this battle was going. Allowing the apparition to lower it's arm from where it punched Kōsa, Kurama slowly and gradually took steps toward the boy. His apparition still in toe in case Kōsa had any unwanted surprises. "I know you won't give up. But, I won't kill you either. Hell, I'm actually starting to feel better about the future now." His aura began to dissipate after he realized Kōsa could no longer fight at his full potential. "Tell you what, once you've matured, then find me. We can settle this little score, then." Shadow vs Lighting! Two Elementals Collide!